


River Mud

by Syrupness



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: 1914, Auror work, Gen, I call him Percy, IRISH!PERCIVAL Graves, Irish Pub, Irish music, Percival is 28, Riverdance Irish Dancing, because he isn't serious 'Mr Graves' yet, mud wrestling, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 09:09:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11666046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syrupness/pseuds/Syrupness
Summary: It is 31st July 1914 and Seraphina has applied for a transfer out of the auror department of MACUSA. Percival just wants to make her last day as an active auror a good memory.or*Percival and Seraphina hunt mud then go dancing*





	River Mud

**31st July 1914**

 

Percival Graves and Seraphina Picquery moved through the scrubby sun-dappled forest.

  
Wands at the ready.

  
The bushes and shrubs kept them from seeing deeply between the trees but the sound of water was getting louder.

  
“Our tracking spell shows there is only one group left, so if that ...that FUNGUS wasn’t lying there should only be two left.” Sera hissed.

  
She was barely controlling her anger. Percy couldn’t really blame her. Three days of this trekking into the wilderness hunting bespelled mud.

  
Who would have thought that witches and wizards would be happy to pay a penny to wrestle with cursed mud in a pool of mud in front of an audience in _Funigius’s Travelling Entertainment Arena_?

  
Of course Funigius wasn’t particularly scrupulous, so here they were hunting his escaped mud. Twenty seven down and possibly only two to go. Though Funigius had told them that there were only four missing initially after three were spotted strutting down the main street of a small no-maj town.

  
Well, at least the spell was an easy one to break. A good _finite incantartum, reducto_ or _scourgify_ and the mud creature returns to simple dirt and water.

  
Alert to all noises they moved around a patch of blackberry until the small watercourse was visible. The water was clear and had clean pebbles along the shore.

  
“Not here” Sera muttered as she leaned over the stream to clean her face after trying _bombarda maxima_ on the last mud creation they found.

  
“Let’s cut through the field over there, maybe our clothes will dry”

  
Sera and Percy stepped over the small stream and moved out into a clearing beyond, they did not notice the water begin to run brown behind them.

  
*

  
“Did you think something like this would be your last assignment as an auror Sera?”

  
“Let’s just say I wish my transfer had cleared last week”

  
“Aw, you don’t like spending time with me? And isn’t mud meant to be good for the ski-“

  
Percy was cut-off as a clot of wet dirt slapped into the side of his face. Sera was sprawled on the ground underneath the two mud things they were looking for. Percy raised his wand. Only to slam to the ground himself as three more tackled him. The grass was quickly overrun with oozing mud, burying Percy’s wand in the sludge. Spluttering Sera got to her knees, giving one of the mud forms a backhand slap to get a bit of room.

  
“Sera I lost my wand, you are going to have to do all of them”

  
Raising her hand Sera started in horror as she looked at what she had clasped in her hand. It was a muddy twig with leaves still attached to the growing tips.

  
“Damn, I’m wandless too Percy. We are going to have to do it the _Travelling Entertainment Arena_ way”

  
“With our hands?”  
  
“With our hands”

  
Percy punched a fist through the one on his chest while using some wandless magic to try and keep mud out of his nose and eyes. The muck covered him neck to ankle in a writhing wrap.

  
Sera pounced on the closest mud lump, clawing madly, throwing chunks away from the main body. The lump was half it’s original size when she was knocked off balance by another swoop of goo.

  
Percy grabbed one around the middle and rolled with it, squeezing. The surrounding mud creating a slick surface, but Percy held on until it was cleaved by his arms. Grabbing chunks from one he rolled again, sliding atop the other lump to squash it flat underneath him.

  
Sera grabbed the mud with her legs. Hooking her ankles and squeezing her thighs her lump was soon reduced by half. The excess was now thick on the ground. Her hand was completely covered before it touched hard earth.

  
Splatters of brown coloured the air as Percy and Sera slowly reduced their opponents. Skin slicked over mud covered skin. Clothing became heavy and wet. Verticality became an impossibility as the mud writhed and thickened. Rolling and grappling. Pulling and pressing. The aurors eventually overcame the spells holding the mud together.

  
The sun was lowering in the sky by the time the pool of mud stopped lurching around them.

  
Sera lay back in the mud fighting to catch her breath.

  
“Trust me, you are going to miss this” Percy breathlessly laughed.

  
“Not likely. I will be happy never to see dirt ever again”

  
“But you will soon be dealing with public relations and international diplomacy. You will soon have more dirt than you know what to do with”

  
“But that dirt is clean. My blouse is ruined. Damned spelled mud creatures” Sera huffed as she plucked the mud slick fabric away from her skin.

  
“Yes. But the dirt aurors deal with is simple”

  
Sera twisted and raised herself to her elbows to look at Percy. A slight frown on her face, not big enough to effect the thick swipe of mud on her forehead. Percy feels it in her gaze anyway.

  
“Your last assignment….” He continued with a sigh, “let’s get cleaned up and back to MACUSA”

  
The mud covered ground made a sucking sound as the two aurors carefully got to their feet as if the pool was greedily trying to keep them close. Slipping with every step Sera moved over to the bush she thought her wand had disappeared into while Percy resigned himself to fingering through the muck for his.

  
A cracking pop sounded as the aurors apparated from the clearing, leaving only a pool of mud on the grass.

  
*

  
Dropping off their final reports to the Director, Percy brushed his damp hair back with his palm while Sera fixed her face into a moue of displeasure, her hair still wrapped in a towel.

  
“It was kind of fun, you have to admit”

  
Sera just glared

  
“Just think, when are you likely to get another chance at mud wrestling actual mud?”

  
Percy glanced at Sera to see if his chatter had an effect.

  
“Did you notice it was spelled to be warm? Maybe when Funigius is out of prison he can open a day spa. Beauty treatment and exercise in one. When he does we can buy vouchers. Gift those vouchers to our mothers-“

  
“Stop Percy”

  
Percy was crestfallen, he had hoped she could be convinced to see the lighter side and enjoy herself. So she would remember her last day as an active auror with fond memories. Sera huffed. Was that laughter? Then she looked up at him and said the magical words

  
“I need a drink”

  
Percy smirked, he knew just the place.

  
*

  
The Irish themed pub had only been open a few months. Percy enjoyed the atmosphere even if it was a no-maj establishment. Actually preferred it.

  
No one here would recognise him or Sera as aurors at MACUSA or his illustrious family name. No one would report about his antics to the gossip columns which were sure to twist a story. Tonight would not become dirt what could come back to haunt Sera if all her political dreams come true.

  
Mostly though he liked it because it reminded him of the pubs he had seen when he visited ‘the old country’ after graduating. Hardworking men and women mingling with good Guinness to lively tunes. Everyone seemed cheerful, even if they were tired. The perfect place to relax after again bringing a little more peace to the wizarding world.

  
Sera had never been. She was in for a treat.

  
They pushed through the doors together and Percy chose a booth near the dancefloor. He got drinks and tried hiding his anticipation.

  
“This drink is surprisingly good Percy. What is it called again?”

  
“Guinness. I’m glad you are enjoying it”

  
“And this place is nice despite it being no-maj”

  
“I like it because it is no-maj” Percy stated as he leaned back to finish his glass. He had seen movement near the corner of the room and he wanted to be prepared.

  
Percy glanced to the corner again and this time Sera noticed, she stared as a band set up in the corner. The chatter died down as the anticipation of the first song grew.

  
“A live band Percy? And what is with the selection of instruments?”

  
“Oh it is just a Bodhrán, Uilleann pipes, a fiddle and some other things” Percy was smugly revelling in knowing more than Sera, a guilty pleasure he had had since Illvermorny.

  
Sera flicked a glance to him but soon focused on the band tuning.

  
Percy couldn’t help himself beaming as he recognised the opening notes of _Priosuin Chluain Meala_.

  
He stood and waited at the edge of the dancefloor. Sera followed not understanding as most of the patrons moved to the edge of the dancefloor.

  
When the tempo picked up after the almost mournful notes of the start of the song Percy moved onto the dancefloor in quick timed dance steps.

  
Sera’s gasp was clearly audible over the music as she noticed several other patrons join Percy on the dancefloor doing the same movements.

  
His legs bent and kicked. All his movements energetic and precise. Sometimes he moved so fast crossing and uncrossing ankles that Sera had a hard time keeping track of what foot belonged to what leg.

  
He not only danced in time with the music and the others, but they rotated in synchronicity on the dancefloor. Each dancer doing a full circuit and ending up where they started as the song ended.

  
“My god…Percy…what? How?” Sera spoke through the applause but she was still heard.

  
“Just a little step dancing I picked up abroad, and you don’t know everything about me Sera” Percy laughed. His cheeks flushed and eyes alight with excitement. “and I don’t think it is healthy to let your mouth dry out like that”

  
Her mouth snapped shut and she tried to reassess the man in front of her. The man she had known since school. Reconcile that man with what she just witnessed.

  
“You always said you hated dancing Percy, I just can’t believe this!”

  
“This dancing is fun. Care to try a few steps?”

  
“Yes! I can see us now breaking into dance like this at the next MACUSA gala”

  
Sera was a quick learner, as always. After teaching her some basic moves Percy led her to the dancefloor just in time for the start of _₤40 Float_. As the lively song started Percy wrapped his arm over Sera’s shoulder so she could keep time better, and if her feet got caught up she wouldn’t tumble into other dancers.

  
Sera laughed so much she snorted, which caused her to burst into a fit of giggles which threw off her steps entirely, but that didn’t really matter. Percy joined in her laughter, though still keeping his movements in time, and thought “Yes, this has been a good day. We both will be able to look back on this fondly”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a vague thought about how war changes people while I listened to jigs. The songs are:  
> Priosuin Chluain Meala/Speed the Plough [Irish Air/Jig]  
> ₤40 Float [Irish Polka]  
> (which are both used in the movie Titanic if you think they sound familiar) 
> 
> I wrote this in about 6 hours while doing other things. Unbeta-ed. All mistakes are mine. Sorry for any slips in tenses you notice as I originally wrote it as first person POV/present. 
> 
> Historical notes: World War 1 technically started on the 28th July 1914, but it wasn't until August 1st that Germany declared war on Russia. I wrote Seraphina and Percival as being oblivious to the start of this black period which will effect them and everyone else.


End file.
